Convicted child molester receives 20 years

PAWTUCKET – A city man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to multiple counts of child molestation involving three boys between the ages of four and nine.
Jorge Jacinto Masariego, 33, of 27 Mavis St., pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation in the first degree and five counts in the second-degree.
Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel sentenced Masariego to 40 years, with 20 to serve, followed by lifetime sex-offender registration with GPS monitoring upon release.
Amy Kempe, spokeswoman for Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, said the state was prepared to prove Masariego committed the crimes between
December 2008 and January 10, 2011 had the case gone to trial.
The defendant met his victims by befriending their parents through the mutual association of a neighborhood church in Providence, Kempe said. Once friends with the parents, Masariego would visit their homes for social gatherings where he would bring his victims toys and gifts and ultimately molest the young boys in their homes.
The investigation began after the father of one of the victims noticed his son acting in a way that seemed out of character, said Kempe. When the father questioned him, the boy revealed that he had been molested.
The victim was brought to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, at which point child welfare investigators and members of the Providence police were called in.
“The defendant hid behind his association with a church to identify and prey on young victims,” said Kilmartin. “He abused the trust put in him by his neighbors and his community in a sick and twisted ploy to get at his victims.